Improvement in the distillation of hydrocarbon oils



` UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

SAMUEL NAN SYOKEL, OF TITUSVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN JOHNSON &OO., OF MEREDITH, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE DISTILLATION OF HVDROCARBON OILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 52,440, dated June 23,1874; application filed November 2l, 1873.

To all Iwhom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL VAN SvoKEL, of Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Distillation of Hydrocarbon Oils; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in which- Figurel is a perspective view of my iniproved still. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof in perspective. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the line a' x ot' Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a like sectional view through the still, just above the level of the oil-supply pipe, in the line m a.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each. l

The object especially in view in my present improvement'is the construction of a still particularly designed for the distillation of petroleum oils by a con tin nous process-that is, with a continuous supply of oil to be distilled, a continuous driving ott' and condensing of vapors, with a continuous deposit of refuse or tarrymatter, under such conditions that it may be drawn olf continuously from the still, or drawn olf from time to time, at pleasure, without interfering at all with the continuous operation of the still 5 but, at the same time, the still may be run in the usual way when desired. And while the still which I have invented may be employed advantageously with lthe ordinary crude oils as produced from the wells, I especially design it for use in distilling oils as produced from an apparatus patented to me by Letters Patent No. 143,945,

dated October 21, 1873, in which apparatus the gases contained in the oil are removed as a preliminary step to the further treatment of the oil.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

rlhe walls A inclose any desired area of lirespace a, according to the diameter of the still B, which is mounted thereon. The height of -which extend outside the walls A.

lthe walls A may be varied at pleasure, but for ordinary purposes a height of from ten to twelve feet will be sufficient. The still B consists of a cylinder, say of from twelve to twenty feet in height, more or less, with aseries of inverted cones or pipes, b, extending downward into the iire-box a, which is situated immediately under the bottomy sheet of the still B, such cones taperingdownward to near the lower part ofthe tire-chamber a, at which point their contracted tubular apexes make a connection with a pipe or series of pipes, b',

verted cones b are made hollow, and preferably are arranged at the point of'their junction with the still l, as closetogether as practicable, in order that in the operation to be described little or none of the tarry refuse may lodge or rest on the bottoni plate or sheet of the still B. Through this bottom sheet, in any desirednumber and arrangement, a series of pipes, c, extend up and laterally outward, opening at their lower ends into the fire-space al, and at their outer ends into an annular heating-chamber, d, which surrounds thelower end of the still toaheight of, say, three or four Ifeet, more or less, but not above thelevel otl the oilinthe still or, in other words, thelevel ot' the oil in the still should always be above the upper level ofthe heating-chamber d. At any desired level I introduce, by the pipe g, any desired gas or hydrocarbon vapor or carbureted air into the lire-space a and inside such lire-space l extend'the pipe in various directions by radial arms, a worm-coil, or, as shown, by a ring around each of the cones b, in any way that may be desired with reference to giving the best application` of the heat produced therein by the ignition of such gas or vapor to the inverted cones b.

Oil is supplied to the still, at or near the bottom, by means of a pipe, F, which is coiled or bent, or inv other manner arranged sothat the oil sha-ll be heated to a greater or less degree of temperature before its discharge into thc still,and such pipe, at or near its delivery end, is preferably perforated, so that the oil shall be delivered at various points over the bottom of the still rather than at a single point. At

These inor near the upper end ot' the still B I arrange the pipe D, by which the vapors are carried over to the condenser; but, instead of making the opening ot' this in such form that it will most readily take the vapors from the center of the still, I arrange itas shown in the drawing, with an elbow and mouth upward so that the vapors whichl rise most rapidly from the oil below at or near the center of the still will be somewhat retarded in their escape, and be compelled to diverge outwardly toward the sides of the still before entering the pipe D, as a result of which feature I retard those vapors which ordinarily give a colored oil, or allow them to be condensed and drop back, and carry over those vapors which experience has shown give the whitest and best quality of oil; and in order to promote the movement of the vapors, and also to lower the vaporizing-point, I introduce into the pipe D a steam-jet, h, and also into the still, above the level of the oil, a steamjet, It the operation of which will be readily understood. The heat ing-chamber d is connected, by the flues d, with the smoke-stack, so as to carry off the products of combustion.

As the process of distillation is carried on, the refuse and tarry matter is gradually deposited in the cones b, and as it descends and comes nearer to the level of the pipe g, which is the frevlevel, it becomes subject to a more intense heat, and consequently the oily ingredients which go down therewith are by such heat vaporized and driven oil'. The tarry refuse or residuum, being thus deprived of all or nearly all its oleaginous ingredients, passes down the cones b, below the fire-level, and is then drawn off, either continuously or intermittently, from the cones at their smaller ends, :by means ofthe pipe or pipes b. In practical use, the best results are attained when the level of the pipe g is arranged at or about the point at which the tarry residuum shall, in the'operation described, have become freed from all or the greater part of the oil. In this way, while the tar is carried downward through and beyond the reach of the fire by a continuous operation, the oil is distilled above and driven upward, converted into vapor, and carried over and condensed, as set forth. The heat is applied from the heat of the tire-level upward to the outer faces of the cones b, and by means of the pipes c, which pass through the body of the oil to the oil which so covers them, and by means of the heating-chamber d, to the outside of the body of the oil in the bottom of the still B.

I have found that by such apparatus I can carry on the operation of distillation continuously, keeping up a continuous feed through the pipe f, a continuous supply of gaseousfuel through the pipe g, a continuous drawing ott' of the tar or residuum through the pipe b', and a continuous carrying over and condensation of the vapors through the pipe D.

The smoke-pipes c may open at their lower ends through the sides of the cones b, at or near their upper ends, if so preferred. Also, an ordinary grate for heating may be substituted for the devices described, and the vaporization of the oil may be facilita-ted by the introduction therein ofV superheated steam; but, for heating purposes, that described is preferable, since thereby the degree of heat may be more perfectly regulated, and thereby the gravity of the distillate may be likewise regulated. The degree of heat applied regulates the gravity of the distilled product.

Where the operation is carried on continuously it is generally better to carry the pipe b upward to a little below the level of the oil in the still, allowance being made for the difference of specilic gravity of descending and ascending columns of matter so formed.

The supply of oil to the still and the degree of heat then being v-properly regula-ted, thc work may go on without interruption.

The shape of the pipes b. may be varied at pleasure, as, for example, they may be made cylindrical, and with a connection at the lower ends with the refuse-pipe b.

I do not claim applying the heat above the bottom of the still to prevent burning -tlie deposit thereon, as this is not of my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A still, B, provided with a series of pipes, I), extending downward from the bottom plate into the fire-box, and opening into a common refuse-pipe at a point below the iirelevel, substantially as described.

2. A still, B, having a series of pipes, b, in combination with the fire-box a., the pipes c, and the annular heating-chamber d, as and for the purposes described.

3. The arrangement of the vapor-pipe l), with its receiving-aperture opening upward, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the still B, pipes b, and upwardly-extending refusefpipe b', substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof I, the said SAMUEL VAN SYCKEL, have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL VAN SYGKEL.

Titnesses G. H. CHRISTY, T. B. Knits. 

